The U.S.–Africa Initiative in Electronic Structure (USAfrI) aims to foster research collaborations between African and U.S. physicists.
2019-2022 USAfrI activities include in-person visits to U.S. universities and research institutions; workshops and lectures and other events focused on professional development and exchange. Above: Hybrid meeting with the 2022 Workshop on Recent Developments in Electronic Structure held at Columbia University. Photo supplied by Michael Martin.
The U.S.-Africa Initiative in Electronic Structure is supported by
the Innovation Fund of the American Physical Society. 
Research Trips and Workshops in May 2022
In 2022 was the culmination of the initiative hosted by Columbia University: a Virtual Workshop open to all. Fifteen African scientists came in person to the workshop and then visited US resaerch instititions.
- participants selected from 200 African applicants and over 40 US scientists who expressed interest in hosting a visitor. The hosts and visitors were selected to maximize overlap of research interest and are listed in the section below along with a very short description of the research topic. All 15 in-person visits have led to interactions that are continuing, greatly aided by on-line possibilities. The visits had many other benefits since all the visitors presented seminars on their work and there were scientific and social activities beyond the collaborations.
- A tour of Brookhaven National Lab was an eye-opening experience to see such a lab and learn about the coordinated efforts of theory and experiments and the possibilities of remote access.
- The Electronic Structure Workshop with the opportunity to present posters and meet over 100 US scientists and students.
Yedilfana Mekonnen gave a seminar at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Yedilfana was hosted by Deyu Lu and Qin Wu. Photo supplied Yedilfana Mekonnen.
At the 2022 Workshop on Recent Developments in Electronic Structure, the African visitors attended talks and presented research posters. Photo supplied by Jingyi Zhang.
Catherine Paschal Tairo (Mwenge Catholic U, Tanzania) with the group of Alex Urban (Columbia U) and Olugbenga Oshakuade (U Ibadan, Nigeria). Alex Urban is working with both visitors on proposals for time on high-performance computing clusters. Photo supplied by Catherine Paschal Tairo.
The group of Elif Ertiken (U Illinois) with Winfred Mueni Mulwa (Egerton U, Kenya) and Bamidele Ibrahim Adetunji have analyzed 330+ thermoelectric compounds and preparie a manuscript for publications. Photo: Amy Young.
Winfred Mulwa and Ibrahim Adetunji fly over Champaign-Urbana with pilot-and-MatSE professor André Schleife. Photo supplied by André Schleife.
Mesfin Asfaw presents a poster on collaborative work with Mark Pederson (UTEP) to Gebremedhn Gebreyesus (U Ghana) and Talat Rahman (U Central Florida). Photo supplied by Jingyi Zhang.
Electronic Structure is a natural choice because it is an essential part of research with applications in many fields, and there is a network of capable researchers in Africa generated by sustained efforts over the past 10 years.